Underrated quality entertainment from a quality director

Rating: 9/10 (30 August 2005)

Michael Bay has never mastered, in film-making, the category of subtlety, this portrayed in his previous works such as the explosive 'Armageddon' and the foul-mouthed violence in his 'Bad Boys' films. With his latest, Bay doesn't stray from his love of full-on action, but this time manages to infuse an intelligent story with his trademark adrenaline rushes. What first strikes you as the film opens and you are introduced to this sinister and routine future world is, intentional or not, reviving a type of communism. Once again, the characters are treated as if not human, but a mere walking product in storage. Ewan McGregor is the product in scrutiny here, as Lincoln Six-Echo, who seems the only one with questions that he encourages Jordan Two- Delta, played maturely by Johansson, to ask as well. This stereotypical blockbuster begins well; opening interesting doors to problems that are essential to answer in the later stages of the film and a promising chase that suggests the action may not be mindless and obscene but instead witty and enticing. The film remains sober, but as Bay tries to add realism it begins to slip from the tracks of what it originally set out to do. The Johansson/McGregor double act are perfectly able, but it's director of photography Mauro Fiore who makes the film what it is. Tragically this film is deprived of it's deserved success, but won't leave a bad mark on Bay's career but sadly won't be a milestone.